Fastening device.



c. H WILLIAMSON.

FASTENING DEVICE APPLICATION FILED APR. 10, ms.

Patented Nov. 27, 1917.

CLARENCE H. WILLIAMSON, 01E ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ras'rnmne n'nvron.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2?, 1121?.

Application filed April 10, 191& Serial No. 90,097.

While m invention is primarily designed I to afford e 'cient fastening means which are especially suitable for maintaining the movable parts of a key-connected; draft rigging in proper assembled position under the peculiar conditions of service to which draft riggings for railway cars are subjected, it

will be apparent that such fastening means are also useful in many other relations.

The main feature of my invention, generally stated, consists in providing a detachable head for a key or bolt, said parts constituting a fastening device and being adapted to have interlocking engagement preventing the removal or detachment of said head except upon successive turning movements of the latter about in'dependent axes.

There are other features of my invention, relating to the form and mode of cooperation of the parts of the fastening device, all as will hereinafter appear and be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings illustrating my inven tion, the scope whereof will appear from the claims:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a draft rigging and a portion of the car underframe with which the draft rigging cooperates.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of a fastening device embodying my invention, the detachable head being shown in full lines in locked position. and being shown in dotted lines in a position which it assumes when being disengaged from. the body portion of the key or bolt.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 33, Fig. 2, the detachable head being in locked position and the relation of a coupler butt to such a fastening means being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 4 is an end view of thefastenin'g device, the detachable head thereof being shown in one of the positions which it assumes when being detached from the key or bolt.

Although the invention is advantageously applicable to key-connected draft riggings generally, I have, for purposes of explanation, illustrated it as applied to a draft rig ging mechanism of the character shown and described in the patent to I. 0. Wright at al., No; 841,757, issued January 22, 1907.

In the drawings the key or bolt member of the fastening device is indicated by the numeral 1, and 2 is the detachable head. The key is preferably provided at one end with an integral head 3 and near its opposite end it is fashioned with oppositely disposed slots or notches 5 which thus reduce the cross-sectional area of the key 1. These notches are adapted to receive portions of the detachable head 2, which is preferably formed as a completely closed loop or ring having upper and lower bars or walls 6 and 7, respectively, and end or side walls or bars 8 and 9, respectively.

The inner face of the side wall 8 is preferably provided, adjacent the upper wall 6,

with a beveled portion 10, which normally lies in one of the slots 5 and which permits the detachable head 2 to be swung upwardly into the position shown in Fig. 4:, and then rotated outwardly as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2 to effect its detachment from the. key 1. Below this beveled portion 10, the inner face of the side wall may be provided with an inwardly extending shoulder 11 adapted when the head is in locked position to underlie a portion of the keyor bolt. The opposite side 9 of the detachable head is provided with an outwardly curved or recessed portion 12, adjacent the lower wall 7 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The end portion of the bolt or key 1, adjacent the notches 5 is provided with beveled sides 4, the inclination of the beveled faces being such that each face will lie within'a circle struck from the inner edge of the op positely disposed notch, with a radius equal to the maximum diameter of the opening formed in the detachable head 2.

The numeral 13 designates the coupler of the draft rigging, .14 and 15 the followers, and 16 the springs. These movable parts of the draft rigging are maintained in proper position between the draft or center sills 17 by means of the fastening device hereinbefore referred to. The end sill is indicated by the numeral 17, and 18 and 19 are respectively the striking casting and the coupler carry-iron.

@wing to the constant movement of the 'ing 1 area, and also must permit the side movemen'tof the key portions and must be readily'detachable to enable the key por-' tions to be readily withdrawn in order. to

'make repairs to the draft gear parts, and

while the detachability of the'said means is of paramount importance it isequally essential'that the means be so connected to the key portions as to absolutely prevent the accidental removal of the said means.

The detachable head 2 of the fastening "meansfully meets all of the requirements,

set forth above, in that it presents a large wearing surface to the outer face of the sills and is interlocked with the key or bolt so as to positively permit the lateral or transverse movement of the key or bolt. To rcmove the head 2 the same is first rotated on the corner adjacent the portion 10 so as to place the curved portion 12 in line with edge of the key orbolt, as shown in Fig. 4,.and then the head is again rotated on the portion 10 as an axis and in a direction at right angles to the first rotation, until the side 9 clears the end of the key or bolt, afterwhich the side 8 may be slipped out of the notch or slot 5.

The opening in the head 2 is non-circular and may be, and preferably is, unsymmetrical, and the maximum diameter thereof is less than the diameter of the key or bolt. The formation of the detachable head absolutely prevents the accidental removal of the same, .since any force tending to raise the head lineally in a vertical direction would, owing to the shoulder 11, cause the side wall 9 to bind against the base of the notch 5 with which the same is engaged, and thus prevent the rising of the head. Moreover, BVGILShOllld the head be jarred into the position illustrated in Fig. 4 it would still be interlocked with the key and only disengageable therefrom by an outwardly directed force acting on the inner face of the side wall 9. The detachable head is normally maintained in interlocked relation with the key by the action of gravity.

Having now described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination of a key and a rigid detachable head having interlocking'engagcment withsaid key, said key having intermediate of its ends a portion of reduced cross-section, and said detachable head having a non-circular opening therein whose greatest width is less than the maximum transverse width of the key.

2. The combination with a key having intermediate of its ends a portionof reduced cross-sectionand having a tapered end, of a rigid head adapted to be detachably mounted on said'key, said'key and said head having interlocking engagement, and said head having an unsymmetrical opening therein whose greatest widthis less than the maximum transverse width of the key.

3. The combination with a key having intermediate its ends a portion of reduced cross section formed by notches, of a head'detachably connected to said key at'said portion,

eter of saidopening measured between two of its sides being greater than the reduced width of the key, the maximum diameter of said opening between'the same two sides being less than the maximum width of said key and greater than thewidth of said key less the depth of one of the said notches.

4. The combination with a key, of a detachable head having interlocking engagement therewith, said head having therein an unsymmetrical opening through which the end of said key is adapted to project, one of the end walls of said opening having a recess therein corresponding to and normally spaced from the adjacent side of the said key whensaid head is in locking position.

'5. The combination of a key and a detachable head therefor, said key having a shouldered portion adapted to interlockingly engage said head and serving as means for preventing the disengagement of said head except upon successive turning movements of said head about different axes.

6. The combination of a key and an elongated detachable head therefor, said key having a shouldered portion adapted to interlockingly engage said head, said head having an elongated opening therein through which said key extends, portions of the said key being adapted to engage the end walls of said opening to prevent the movement of said head in the directionof the length of the said opening, said head being detachable CLARENCE H. WILLIAMSON. 

